


Give Them Shelter

by BossToaster (ChaoticReactions)



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Fluffy, Gen, WAFF
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-27
Updated: 2016-10-27
Packaged: 2018-08-27 07:03:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,488
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8391862
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChaoticReactions/pseuds/BossToaster
Summary: Have some freakin' gen fluff, you goddamn animals.In response to Day 15 of legendarydesvender's Inktober.





	

Shiro was just putting away the last of the equipment when the door to the training room opened. “Shiro!” Lance called, dragging out the ‘o’ for a solid few seconds. “You still in here?”

“Did you need something?” Setting down the final weight, Shiro pressed the button on the side, and the entire rack sedately floated up and headed toward storage. Which was so, so much nicer than lugging it everywhere. The Castle of Lions had several points on the Galaxy Garrison, but that was one of Shiro’s favorites. 

Lance nearly slid into the room on his socks, cheeks flush with the force of his grin. “Awesome.” Pidge trotted in after him, looking nearly as excited, with Hunk and Keith following along behind him. Taking in the general attitudes, Shiro got wary. That combination usually meant mischief. “We’re gunna go exploring. You should come with.” Lance bounced on the balls of his feet, nearly beaming with excitement.

Pausing, Shiro glanced at the walls toward the observatory, as though he could see through them like a window to the wormhole outside. “Explore where?”

“The castle,” Pidge replied, holding up her tech pad, as though Shiro could see it from across the room. “We found a map with more information, and we figured we’d find someplace interesting. We’ve barely explored more than a floor, outside of critical areas like the power source or the lion hangers.”

Shiro let out a slow breath, considering. They were excited, and he’d prefer to keep an eye on them, just in case something deeper in the castle was still… off. But training today had required him rotate between all four, and he was already aching and exhausted.

Still, Shiro didn’t want to tell them to ask Allura and Coran. They did enough, for one, and it felt rude to volunteer them that way. 

At his hesitation, Hunk gave him a small smile. “It’s okay if you don’t want to. We just thought it’d be fun, and you’d want to join us.”

Dammit, it was much easier to to say no to Lance and Pidge’s over enthusiasm than Hunk’s quiet reassurance. And Keith was looking at him from under his bangs, clearly hopeful but not willing to speak up.

Well, it wasn’t like Shiro was going to sleep anyway. “Alright. Give me a few to finish up. Do you want me to meet you somewhere?”

Lance cheered and pumped a fist. “Exploration expedition is a go!” He peered over Pidge’s shoulder, ignoring the way she scowled and held the pad as far away from him as she could in protest for the sudden personal space encroaching. “Uh, huh, where is a good place. Maybe the stairwell by the control room?”

“The one by our rooms might be better. It goes here.” Hunk tapped on something that might have been a map. “I want to look there first.”

Pidge hummed. “I’m with Hunk, the other starwell doesn’t really go anywhere.”

Staying a couple of feet back from the growing pile on Pidge, Keith shrugged. “Does it matter where we go? It kinda defeats the purpose of exploring if we plan out where we want to go, doesn’t it?”

Lance pointed to him. “See? Even Keith thinks we should go my way-”

“That’s not what I said!”

Sighing, Shiro scrubbed his face. “I’ll meet you by the rooms. That way when we’re done we don’t have to go as far to relax. That sound good?”

Lance pouted, but the logistical answer won out, and they nodded in agreement and scurried off, all muttering about whatever interested them in that map. Shiro sighed again, but it was fond, and he went back to cleaning up.

***

 

It was only a few minutes to put everything away, but Shiro took an extra ten to wash off quickly. Once he was dry and dressed, he made his way toward his rooms. 

Apparently, the others had taken the chance to prepare. Hunk had Pidge’s backpack thrown over one shoulder, full to bursting, and Pidge carried her pad, a huge flashlight, and had what looked like a tool kit strapped around her waist. And each of them had their bayards attached to their hip.

That was good. Because it wasn’t paranoid if the castle really had tried to kill them, once.

“Oh, there you are.” Pidge waved absentmindedly. “Awesome. Let’s go.” She headed for the doors, Lance dogging her heels with a quick wave to Shiro. Hunk tailed after, slightly calmer in his enthusiasm, but Keith hung back, letting Shiro catch up.

“You okay?” Keith asked, watching him from the corner of his eye. They stepped into the stairwell, the sounds of the others echoing up from under him. “You look tired.”

Dammit. It was that obvious? “Just a bit worn out. No sense trying to sleep now anyway. If I manage a couple of hours now, I’ll be up all night.”

Keith snorted, but thankfully didn’t point out that Shiro wasn’t better most nights. Maybe he didn’t know how to bring it up, but Shiro was thankful for the restraint, anyway.

“So, what’s supposed to be down here that they’re excited for?” Shiro asked.

Frowning, Keith tilted his head. “Some kind of lounge, I think. Hunk said it had a lot of power that can go to it, or something? I forget the exact words. They wanted to know why, and then Lance got excited about a theory, and it all kinda…” Keith made a growing motion with his hands, which Shiro took to mean ‘exploded into total chaos’.

Eventually, Pidge declared them to be on the right floor, and they piled out. At first, the lights didn’t turn on, but then they slowly flickered to life. Apparently, no one had been here at all since the castle was opened, even during all the chaos of take-overs and threats.

“Okay,” Lance declared. He pointed down the hall and started to walk. “It’s down this way.”

But Hunk reached out and grabbed his arm, yanking him to a halt. “Wait a second. I want to check this out first.” He tugged Lance with him the opposite direction, to a door just to their right. It had Altean script on it, but Shiro freely admitted he had no idea what it read. The translators worked on written communication, and could be installed into the pad, but on the door he was stumped. “This is storage.”

Keith’s brow furrowed. “So? We have storage upstairs.”

“I mean, yeah, but only some of it. Limited stuff. The things you need on hand during an emergency. Not comforts or anything.” Hunk shrugged. “This could have more interesting.”

“That’s worth checking out,” Shiro agreed. Morale flagged hard, some days, and it would be good to have more nice things to help keep it up. Decorations, for one, to combat how sparse their rooms were. Extra clothing, maybe, or simply non-essentials.

Hunk smiled back, pleased at the support. He tapped on the control panel, and the door opened, if with a bit more creaking than was comfortable. Inside, the lights turned on.

If they’d been waiting for some big dramatic reveal, they were disappointed. Everything was boxed away neatly, labeled in more Altean.

But that had a charm too. There was a certain feeling of excitement to pulling boxes off the shelves and opening them, not unlike having a birthday. And spirits were high as they looked around, too, with Pidge perched comfortably on Hunk’s shoulders to reach the highest shelves.

Mostly, it seemed to be goods. Clothing, shoes, books- the list went on and on. The kind of things one would expect any place with inhabitants. It was a pity that Shiro didn’t know a way to translate the books, because he missed the feeling of physically turning the pages while he read.

The clothing, mostly, was a source of entertainment, color coded for added hilarity. “Oh, Hunk. I think this is yours.” Keith held up a yellow and orange monstrosity of a jacket that, besides being child-sized, had enough bows and buttons and straps that finding a way in must have been a challenge for anyone that couldn’t shape-shift.

Grinning, Hunk dug into his own box, pulling out an impressively tall hat made of ribbons and what looked like spark plugs in neon green. He shoved it onto Pidge’s head and chuckled when it slipped down to cover her eyes. In response, Pidge held her hands out and took a blind lap around the table, nearly knocking into at least two chairs.

“Oh, this one’s not bad- oh.” Lance held up a shirt that, on first glance, looked like just a plain, grey sweater. But at the bottom was a row of what looked like stylized lions in black. “Hey, Shiro, this your size?”

Shiro took it and held it up. “Actually, almost.” It might have been closer to his current size than the shirt Keith had managed to dig up for him back on Earth. And it was a color which wouldn’t sear the eyes, which was nice. “I’ll try it on when we get back.”

“That’s no fun,” Hunk pointed out. “Fashion show, c’mon.”

Brows up, Shiro snorted. “I’m not going to change in front of you.”

And what was supposed to be a joke fell flat as they all went quiet. Dammit. Shiro would have preferred the teasing the rest would have gotten, rather than the sad looks.

“You could step out,” Keith pointed out, voice just a touch softer than usual. “It’s not like there’s anyone to see.”

Normally, Shiro would have waited, but right now he just wanted the looks to stop. So he nodded. “One second. Please don’t get in trouble in the next minute.” 

That earned him a round of deeply sarcastic ‘yes, sir!’s, and Shiro rolled his eyes fondly as he stepped out. Because, yes, he didn’t exactly like showing off what his chest looked like now, and also because he’d rather get dressed in peace.

The sweater was a size big on him, but it was made of a nice material. Rubbing at the edge, Shiro draped his shirt and vest over his shoulder and stepped back in.

In his absence, the green hat had ended up on Lance’s head, and Keith had ended up wrapped in a red scarf so fluffy it looked like a feathered boa. “Oh, hey. You look soft.”

“It’s kind of like cashmere,” Shiro offered, and Lance ‘ooh’ed appreciatively and reached out to pet as well.

Eventually, the fun of laughing at Altean fashion wore out. Eventually, they’d probably come back to sort through what was actually useful and what wasn’t, but for now they hadn’t explored the area Pidge and Hunk were so excited over. They did leave with the green hat (on Lance), a giant white bow (stuck to the back of Keith’s jacket, which he hadn’t yet noticed), a pair of heavy looking boots (Pidge), and a dress that they’d all agreed looked about Allura’s size and tastes (held in Hunk’s arms), along with Shiro’s sweater.

The possible-lounge was just a bit farther down the hallway. Inside was dark as the rest, and the lights turned on in a delayed sequence, starting with the ones closest to them and moving out like a ripple.

The room was filled with comfortable looking chairs and screens, and had a totally different look from the rest of the castle. Plush, almost, and more opulent than any other room Shiro had seen. There was an air of deserved decadence, from the nice-looking materials to the nearly-wood-looking walls. And especially in the corner, which had a bar counter and several bottles behind glass doors.

“Oh,” Shiro breathed, as it clicked. “This is an officer’s lounge.”

Brows jumping up, Keith glanced around again. Then his nose crinkled in distaste. “Yeah, I think you’re right.”

Hunk tilted his head. “You figured that out fast. You sure?”

“Well, no. But it feels like one. And it makes sense the Castle of Lions would have one. It’s basically a base.” Shiro cracked a grin. “And I’ve been to a lot of them. There was a lot of networking when the Kerberos mission was announced.”

Pidge sighed. “Oh, yeah. Sometimes Dad and Matt were gone for a couple of weeks. Dad said…” Whatever Commander Holt had said was lost as she frowned and looked away, biting her bottom lip.

Silence hug for just a moment, as no one really knew how to respond to that. But the tried and true method was to move on unless something happened, so Lance took a deep breath. “So, what do you think’s in those bottles?”

“Golly, I wonder,” Keith replied, all bland sarcasm.

“Behave,” Shiro warned, but otherwise let them explore. He stepped closer and put a hand on Pidge’s shoulder, offering her a smile. She nodded back and gave a pale version of her normal smile in return.

Shiro didn’t pull away until Hunk made a delighted noise and tapped on the top of the counter. “Hey, I think there’s a drink machine in here.”

“Is that safe?” Keith asked, peering dubiously at it.

“Oh, yeah.” Hunk flapped a hand. “We helped Coran clear out all the systems in the castle. Unless this messed up for some reason, it should be running basically fresh. Like the space goop.”

Pidge took a deep breath. “That’s hardly comforting.”

Hunk shrugged. “Well, it just tastes bad. It’s not gone bad. That’s a big difference. I wanna see what it makes.” He glanced over at Lance, who nodded in instant understanding and started to pull out mugs for everyone.

“Okay, option one.” Hunk filled each cup with a flourish, like a dealer handing out cards.

Shiro’s lips curled up fondly as he watched. “You would make a great bartender, Hunk.”

That earned him a beaming smile. “I know, right? Trade stories all night and get people drinks and food. It’d be a sweet life.”

“And you’d get a lot of tips,” Keith offered, picking up the steaming cup and taking a sniff. “You’re nice to talk to, too.” At Hunk’s curious look, he shrugged. “Attractive people get more tips.”

If possible, Hunk smiled even wider at the compliment. “Thank you, Keith.”

Keith just shrugged and didn’t look up, like he’d reported the weather.

For a moment, Shiro enjoyed the way Lance glanced between the two, narrow eyed with open curiosity. Then he took a sip and froze. “Oh. It tastes like cider.”

“What kind of cider?” Pidge asked dubiously, swirling the liquid. “The serve in fall spiced kind, or the kind people who don’t like beer drink.”

Without waiting for an answer, Lance took a swig. “That’s not apples, that’s for sure. But it’s kinda fruity like that, yeah. I don’t think it’s alcoholic.” He didn’t sound happy about it.

Keith made a face and pulled it away. “Bit sweet for me, but it’s not Nunvil.”

“I hear that,” Hunk muttered, taking a drink as well. “It definitely has an acidity to it. Like… cranberry cider, I guess. I’m not sure I like it warm like this, though.”

Pidge took a sip and shrugged, putting it down. “It’s alright. Let’s see what else there is.”

Alright, more for Shiro. “Can I fill up on this and let you guys test the rest?” He offered Hunk a smile as he filled the cup back up. Sipping it, he watched in amusement as they tried the next one, which was declared to taste like sour candy, and nearly made Lance snort it out his nose from first taste.

Eventually, Shiro got less interested in watching and more interested in looking around. Judging by what they were saying, none of them seemed alcoholic, and Shiro suspected that Nunvil was the typical source of intoxication on board. Without the need for supervision, he felt free to explore the room a little more.

Walking to one of the chairs, Shiro ran his natural hand over it. It felt almost leathery, and stuffed full to bursting. When he leaned in, though, it didn’t have the kind of earthy smell he’d associate with hide. Maybe it was synthetic? It had been a long time, after all. But this sort of opulent room didn’t seem the kind to have fake anything.

Curiosity took over, and Shiro settled down in it. Then he groaned.

It was amazing.

Whatever was in the chair worked almost like memory foam, if it was ever that soft and malleable. It folded him in, molding to him, and as soon as he leaned all the way back, Shiro felt like he was melting.

“You alright, back there?” Lance called, and Shiro cracked his eyes back open. “Looks like you’re getting eaten, but sounds like you’re enjoying it.”

Pidge snorted. “Dude.”

Eyes wide, Lance stared at her. “That’s not- how did you even- oh, c’mon, no!”

While Pidge snickered, Shiro shrugged and closed his eyes again, just luxuriating. He took a last sip of the cider and then set it on the coffee table (or, whatever the Altean equivalent was) to prevent spilling it.

And Shiro was going to steal this chair and bring it to his room, because it made all the aches and strains of earlier melt right out of his muscles like a squeezed sponge. It left him wrung out, but in an amazing way.

Really, Shiro should get up. They were exploring, so he shouldn’t be laying around. But he was so comfortable, and they were still trying drinks, so surely he had just a few minutes to rest his eyes and take a break from the muscle strain…

***

Once they finished the last one, Lance rubbed his stomach. “Well, I’m full to bursting. And not a drop of alcohol in the bunch. Some officer’s lounge this was.”

“I dunno,” Hunk replied playfully. “We haven’t broken into the cabinets yet. That’s probably where the good stuff is.”

They all paused instinctively, waiting for Shiro’s obligatory responsible comment. But they never got it. Instead, there was a quiet snore.

“Oh,” Keith murmured, and they followed his gaze to Shiro, sprawled out in that same chair he’d found before. His head had lolled to the side and his mouth was just slightly slack. Combined with the sweater they’d teased him into, he looked pretty damn comfortable.

Lance rested his chin on his palm, brows up. “Well, it’s a good thing the Galra never got in here when they invaded. If they’d known you could defeat Shiro by sticking him in one of those chairs, we’d be doomed.”

Standing up, Pidge considered him for a moment, then wandered to the other side of the room. She opened a couple of doors, peering in. “Okay, no, that’s a bathroom. And- ah, closet. Let’s see.” After a minute of digging, she pulled out a blanket and walked over to Shiro. Quietly, she opened it up, and then carefully draped it over his lap. He didn’t stir. “There, that’s better.”

“Guess we’re stuck here for a bit,” Hunk said, though he didn’t seem put out. Pulling over his mug, he filled it up with option 4, which had a creamy taste but an oily texture. Everyone but him had spit it right back out immediately.

Lance shrugged. “I’m sure we can figure out something to do. Especially since there’s TVs everywhere. Let’s see what they had stored on them. Might be something fun.”

Nodding, Pidge pulled up her pad and started to interface with the screens. Keith leaned over to watch her work, as Lance gave a last, mournful look at the cabinet, then seemed to decide it wasn’t worth the trouble they’d be in for raiding it.

“Oh, hey,” Pidge murmured. “Let’s see what this is.”

***

In was a solid couple of hours later when Shiro stirred. At first, he could almost believe the past year and change had been a very strange dream, and he was back on Earth, napping on a leather couch. But then he heard the sounds of the other paladins talking and reality clicked again.

It was a much nicer version of that process than normal.

He picked his head up, and blinked at the blanket over hips lap. Huh. Then Shiro followed the noise, which was the usual way he found the others. 

They were all pressed together on one of the larger couches, staring at a screen that seemed to be showing what might be the Altean version of a card game simulation. Except none of them clearly had any idea what the rules or goal was, and so they were apparently losing pretty spectacularly.

Watching fondly, Shiro pressed his cheek to the cool fabric of the chair and smiled. Then he’d closed his eyes again, content where he was.

They had so few moments of easy happiness out here. If this was one, Shiro was inclined to let it last as long as possible.


End file.
